- By Xueting Wang, studying MSc Finance and Investment.
Choosing the University of Exeter is one of the best choices I have ever made!
I still remember that sunny afternoon in 22rd June, the first time when I arrived at Exeter, I was deeply attracted by this town. Its neat row of low red houses, clean and quiet street, leisure atmosphere, all of these make me feel comfortable and relaxed after such a long flight. This town is so beautiful that students on the coach started cheering and took out their phones to take pictures sharing with families. University of Exeter is an open university with no school gates, so I took a picture with the iconic stone as soon as I got off the bus. I can still feel the excitement inside because it was a new beginning for me at that moment.
There are many reasons why Exeter is worthy to choose. My major is Finance and Investment. Exeter is the first school in UK to set up this major with a long history and comprehensive teaching resources. In addition to referring to the well-known rankings, I want to talk more about my personal experiences, mainly focusing on six points.
- Location and climate.Ā
My undergraduate school is located in southern China and is close to the sea, which makes me have a natural feeling for the seaside school. As we know the British weather is cold and rainy in winter, but Exeter still has many sunny days and is relatively warm in winter.
On the sunshine coast of Britain, there are colorful activities to carry out such asĀ hiking, swimming or barbecue. Last summer, my roommates and I went to the Exmouth beach to have a barbecue, play soccer and even take the Ferris wheel at the end. That afternoon made a lasting impression on me as it was my first time grilling on the beach and the whole thing was new for me, which made me full of expectations for the future.
Exeter is close to Bristol, Bath and Cornwall, which is easy to access by numerous train lines and airports. The city is also near the Jurassic coast with a charming coastline which is a paradise for hikers. Last summer when I went hiking here, I was deeply shocked by the magic of nature when the first time I saw the Durdle Door, which looks like an Elephant Trunk Hill, formed after being washed by the waves for thousands of years.
- History and culture.
My favorite place in Exeter is Exeter Cathedral, which was built in Roman times and can be dated from the early 12th century, now has around 9 hundred years of history. The first time I went to the cathedral was at a sunset. I happened to pass by after shopping. In the light of the sunset, some people were reading and chatting on the nearby lawn, while some others were at the coffee shop drinking leisurely. Everything seemed so harmonious at dusk in the city.
The Royal Albert Museum and Gallery is one of the places I visit often, especially when friends come to see me as it is a great place to learn about the history of Exeter. It is the largest museum and gallery in Exeter, founded in 1868. The museum has an important and diverse collections in the fields of zoology, anthropology, fine arts, local and overseas archaeology and geology where is a wonderful place to explore.
It is worthy to mention that there is a nearby town named Torquay, which is the hometown of Agatha Christie, one of the most famous mystery writers in the world. Having read her novel before and watched the adapted drama in China, I was fascinated by the place and it turns out that the town won’t make you disappointed because the beach is so beautiful!
- Campus environment.Ā
I heard before that our University is known as the most beautiful garden school in the UK, but had no idea about how beautiful it really was until I saw it by myself. When I first arrived, various flowers were in full bloom on campus. I carefully recorded every kind of flowers with my camera. According to my incomplete statistics, there are more than a hundred kinds of flowers, which makes the school deserve the name of the Garden School.
Another thing I would like to take about is the Forum Library, where I go to the most frequently. Unlike many other universities, the library is open 24 hours. And due to the number of students during the day, it is usually cleaned at night. This building is very modern with multimedia facilities, private reading and group discussion rooms as well as wireless Internet coverage.Ā It even includes Costa (coffee shop), a printing shop, markets, restaurants and canteen which can greatly satisfy our needs from every perspective.
- Diversity and equality
If you have noticed before, our school badge is very interesting. On the emblem of the University of Exeter is a logo of a book, written in LatinĀ Lucem Sequimur, means ‘we follow the light’ and is regarded as the school’s motto.
Lucem Sequimur
In many details, it can be observed that the school’s attitude towards equality, openness and respect for women. For example, there are more female’s toilets than male’s toilets in Forum, because female spend more time than male and we have periods. In Amory building, the femaleās toilets are set up at floor zero while the male is in the first floor, which is more convenient for women although it has slightly differences. It is these small and insignificant details that make me feel truly cared and understand the University’s attitude towards equality. In fact, respect and caring for women is the real equality.
- Public security
Safety is an important consideration for me as it is the only thing my parents require for me. Located in the southwest of England, near the coast with favorable climatic conditions, many people choose Exeter to live after their retirement. The local life is relatively leisurely compared with other large or medium-sized cities, which makes Exeter a safe, affordable and green city. When we first enrolled, our University sent a variety of emails to guide us what to do if we were in danger, although there few security incidents happened ever.
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- Career Zone
The Career Zone is the department that I would like to thank the most, the most useful and helpful, and the most satisfied to me! I have done four career consultations totally booking online in advance.
The first time when I had consultation with my consultant in Forum, instead of introducing me jobs directly, she asked about my experiences, hobbies and learned about my personal characteristics. Then she offered me tips on job-hunting skills step by step to help me explore the most suitable job I am interested in.
The rest of my consultations were had in Business School Career Zone with Liz, a teacher but also a friend I want to appreciate. She enlightened me that work is part of life, not just simply a job. She suggested me to start by thinking about what kind of life I ultimately want to live, and what kind of work would help me lead to that life. She also recommended me a book called Design Your Life written by Bill Burnett to help me think more. Although I am still thinking about what to do after graduation, every conversation with Liz has propelled me and inspired me a lot.
Moreover, the career zone provides us with all-round help including revising CV and Cover Letter, a digital website to offer vast amounts of employment guidance,Ā various forms of online test questions, interview skills, mock interviews and so on. ItĀ can be said that the career service provided by the University of Exeter is one of the most satisfying aspects according to student satisfaction surveys.
I have really learnt and grown a lot in Exeter, not only the professional knowledge, but also in my attitude towards life. Many thanks to my teachers for their kind and help. I feel so lucky that I choose University of Exeter!